Developing countries rich in natural resources can make huge gains towards universal schooling if they managed resource revenues better and devoted a significant share to education, according to a United Nations study released today. The Education for All Global Monitoring Report study, produced by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), argues that by maximizing and transparently ...

The Zambian authorities must immediately release two young men who have been denied bail after being arrested on charges of having sex “against the order of nature”, Amnesty International said. According to state media, police in Kapiri Mposhi in central Zambia on Monday arrested Phil Mubiana and James Mwansa, both aged 21, in Ndeke village. Sources have told Amnesty International that one of the men’s neig ...

The upholding of a sentence against a blogger jailed for “insulting Islam” is yet another blow to freedom of expression in Tunisia, Amnesty International said. Jabeur Mejri's conviction was today upheld by the Court of Cassation. The blogger was sentenced in March 2012 to seven and a half years in prison and a fine of 1,200 Tunisian Dinars – US$757 - after a court in Mahdia, eastern Tunisia, deemed posts he ...

The Security Council today approved a 12,600-strong United Nations peacekeeping operation to take over from the African-led mission in Mali on 1 July and authorized the blue helmets “to use all necessary means” to carry out security-related stabilization tasks, protect civilians, UN staff and cultural artefacts, and create the conditions for the provision of humanitarian aid. “We know it’s going to be a fai ...

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) welcomes the news that the largest solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in Africa was inaugurated today by the Government of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania and Masdar, the renewable energy company of Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates. The new facility, located in the capital city of Nouakchott, is the largest solar PV plant in Africa at 15-megawatts. It will ...

The BRICS just became impossible to ignore.  At the close of the Fifth annual BRICS Summit in Durban, South Africa last week, there was little question that this group of five fast-growing economies was underwriting an overhaul of the global economic and political order. Sharmine Narwani The eThekwini Declaration issued at summit’s end was couched in non-confrontational language, but it was manifestly clear ...

The Algerian authorities have prevented a delegation of 96 trade unionists and civil society activists from crossing the border into Tunisia to attend the World Social Forum this week, violating their right to freedom of movement, Amnesty International said today. The 96 have not been given any reason for the travel ban. Border police near the north-eastern city of Annaba told the delegates today that they ...

The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has welcomed the news of the transfer of Congolese warlord Bosco Ntaganda to The Hague, where he faces charges for a range of alleged war crimes, including rape, murder and the recruitment of children. Mr. Ntaganda has been indicted by the Court on seven counts of war crimes and three counts of crimes against humanity allegedly committed in Ituri prov ...

Pope wrong to meet Mugabe.   Francis sends the wrong signal.   Mistake to invite and greet Zimbabwean tyrant “The Pope has made a huge error of judgement by inviting and greeting the Zimbabwean President. He should have shunned Mugabe as a public rebuke for his crimes and as a signal of solidarity with his victims,” said human rights campaigner, Peter Tatchell, Director of the human rights advocacy organisa ...

Last week Kenyans went to the polls in huge numbers to vote for the first time under a new constitution which was itself voted for by Kenyans in a referendum in 2010 following the devastating election of 2007 which resulted in up to 1500 dead and 250,000 displaced people, many of whom have not returned home and are being permanently settled in other parts of the country. The election itself was largely cont ...